Fireproof building construction.



No. 885,439. PATENTED APR. :21, 1908.

. o. COLLINS.

FIRBPROOP BUILDING CONSTRUCTION;

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21. 1907.

rm: NORRIS PETERS co., VIASHINGYON, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

CORNELIUS COLLINS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FIREPROOF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CORNELIUS CoLLrNs, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in FireproofBuilding (onstruction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to inun'ovements in fire-proof buildingconstruction wherein light and'rigid metallic framework is employed forpartitions, furrings, ceilings and other sub-dividing structures.

My invention consists in the combination of parts and in details ofconstruction which will be more fully explained by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective viewillustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of part of oneof the members.

It is the object of my present invention to economize in-the use ofmaterial which is employed for such structures, and it is effected bycutting sections from the strips, using such removed sections asconnections between the contiguous strips, and so forming the stripsthat said connecting pieces may be readily engaged therewith.

The strips A of which my proposed building construction is composed, mayhave any desired rigidity, but they may preferably be made ofsheet-metal having little inherent rigidity; and this metal is cut intostrips which may have a width substantially equal to the distancebetween the opposite faces of thedpartition or other part in which theyare use In the present drawings I have shown my device as designed forVertical partitions, but it will be understood that these strips may beused either vertically or horizontally in the construction of theseveral parts of the building.

For present purposes I will term these strips A as uprights, and for thepurposes of this description, I will assume that they are designed for afire-proof partition employing metal, and a surface or surfaces ofconcrete or equivalent plastering material.

It is desirable on account of the costly character of such structures toeconomize the interior space as much as possible, by making the interiorwalls, ceilings and floors as thin as is consistent with safety andsufficient solidity to maintain them in place Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed August 21, 1907.

Patented April 21, 1908.

Serial No. 389,456.

without vibration, and to make them fire 1 proof and resistant.

The strips of metal A may be formed either flat, or of angle, or channelform. They are here shown as flat, and at intervals 'in the length,strips or sections 2 are punched out. These strips are of sufficientlength to extend between adjacent vertical members of the partition whenthe latter are set up in place, and sufficiently longer than thedistance between said strips A so that they may be provided with meansfor attachment to the adjacent vertical members. The openings which arecaused by the cutting out of these strips or sections 2 serve both tolighten the structure and to provide spaces substantially in line witheach other, so that water, gas, or other pipes, electrical wires, etc.,may be led through these spaces, and be concealed and protected therein.Between these spaces transverse slits may be made a suitable distanceapart, and the intermediate strip 3, which remains attached at both endsto the strips A, may be stamped, or otherwise forced to bend outwardaway from the strip upon one side, sufficiently to form a channel whichwill receive the end of the strip 2. This end is bent at right angleswith the main portion of the strip, as shown at 2 thus forming a hookwhich may be readily introduced into the slit formed by the raisedtongue 3, and as the strip 2 is made long enough to extend between thecontiguous vertical strips A, plus a portion which may be turned down ateach end, it will be seen that these strips, being hooked into the loops3, will connect the verticals at as many points in their height as maybe desired. In order to form a continuous support of this character, Ihave found it very satisfactory to form two of the loops or clips 3contiguous to each other; the loops being bent in opposite directions sothat connections may be made between two of the uprights by means of theuppermost of the clips 3, and connections between two of the neXtcontiguous uprights by hooking the bars 2 into the lower loops, whichare bent or sprung out upon the side in which the strip 2 is laced. ThusI have a connection of plates a ternatelv above and below a commonplane, but sufficiently in line to provide all necessary rigidity to thevertical strips A. Such a structure is very easily set up or taken down,and when set up, it has all the necessary rigidity in the direction ofthe length of the partition, While the Width of the strips from edge toedge insures stifiness in the direction of its thickness.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. A building structure consisting of vertical metalstrips having rectangular sections cut out at intervals, and loopsformed transversely and alternately upon opposite sides of the strips,said removed tongues or sections having their ends bent intohook formand engaged with the loops.

2. Vertical partition strips standing transversely to the plane of thepartition, said strips having tongues cut out therefrom, leavingopenings through the strips, said tongues having their ends bent atright angles, and a length substantially equal to the distance betweentWo adjacent strips, and loops formed transversely in the partitionstrips between the longitudinal channels, With Which loops the bent endsofthe tongues are engaged.

3. In building and like structures, metallic partition and floorsupporting strips, tongues out out to leave longitudinal openings, saidtongues having their ends bent into hook form, and loops formedtransversely and between the ends of the longitudinal openings toreceive said hooks and unite and support the strips.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

CORNELIUS COLLINS. Witnesses:

J. WERNLI, A. K. DAGGETT.

